Yaris Towing 1000 lbs?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by birdman

That type of trailer hitch is common on all sizes of cars all over Europe. What is it about Americans that makes Toyota so paranoid? I have an American made one on mine which is no where near as well made as yours is. Go wonder.

^^^^^^
"What is it about Americans that makes Toyota so paranoid?"........two words: lawsuit happy. We don't have 'loser pays' as a default concept. Many other countries do. Loser pays means that if you bring a lawsuit against another entity and you lose then you pay the legal bills incurred by the other party. This helps cut down on frivolous lawsuits. Some people almost manage to make a business out of bringing lawsuits and sometimes the only recourse against such a person is getting the person declared a vexatious litigant if the criteria fit, but that can be a difficult task.

[marcus]

i just drove with 4 guys on the yaris.

me = 162 lbs
2nd guy= 165 lbs
3rd guy = 185 lbs
4rt guy = 205 lbs
5th guy = 170 lbs

total 887 lbs being dragged by a stock yaris.. slight rub on dips with trd springs.

[tk1971]

Here's my harbor freight trailer. Just made a quick scaffold last night to keep the patio door upright. I picked up a patio door in the morning. The trailer has a 1000 lbs capacity. The sliding glass door with frame is probably a couple hundred pounds.

Drove at or under the speed limit on the streets for about 20 miles.

No problems.

[nemelek]

Originally Posted by tk1971

Here's my harbor freight trailer. Just made a quick scaffold last night to keep the patio door upright. I picked up a patio door in the morning. The trailer has a 1000 lbs capacity. The sliding glass door with frame is probably a couple hundred pounds.

Drove at or under the speed limit on the streets for about 20 miles.

No problems.

Great little set up.

[Woodsman]

Originally Posted by tk1971

Here's my harbor freight trailer. Just made a quick scaffold last night to keep the patio door upright. I picked up a patio door in the morning. The trailer has a 1000 lbs capacity. The sliding glass door with frame is probably a couple hundred pounds.

Drove at or under the speed limit on the streets for about 20 miles.

No problems.

At least you drove slowly for only a short distance with that set-up.
The overall weights are not a problem but with the window so far back on the trailer your tongue weight would not be enough based on total weight of trailer & load.
I also haul a trailer occasionally with my Yaris & if the weights stay reasonable with the proper tongue weight you hardly know it's there.

[tk1971]

Originally Posted by Woodsman

At least you drove slowly for only a short distance with that set-up.
The overall weights are not a problem but with the window so far back on the trailer your tongue weight would not be enough based on total weight of trailer & load.
I also haul a trailer occasionally with my Yaris & if the weights stay reasonable with the proper tongue weight you hardly know it's there.

A little common sense will go a long way to safely handling any motored vehicle, regardless of configuration.

I've seen people towing U-Haul trailers passing people on the freeway as if the trailer wasn't there (narrowly missing cars they are trying to pass).

Just be aware and drive within the limits of the load, vehicle and the driver.

Regarding my patio door, why would I want to go any faster and/or go on the freeway? The point is to get a new unbroken door with windows home to replace a broken one. The last thing I needed was to make another trip and spend another $400.

[Woodsman]

Originally Posted by tk1971

Regarding my patio door, why would I want to go any faster and/or go on the freeway? The point is to get a new unbroken door with windows home to replace a broken one. The last thing I needed was to make another trip and spend another $400.

It seems like you missed my point.
They way you loaded your patio door on the trailer created an unsafe situation by having more weight behind the wheels than in front of them. Your tongue weight would not be near 10% of your trailer & load weight.
This makes the trailer unstable even at legal road speeds.

[billfires]

When my Yaris is out of warranty I will put a trailer hitch on it and not look back. I had a 1983 Dodge Colt 4dr HB with a 1.4 litre engine and a 4 speed Twin Stick transmission (that gave it a 15 percent under drive) that had a hitch mounted to the bumper. I regularly towed a 15 foot fiberglass Sears boat with a 40 hp motor and also used it twice to tow a 6 x 9 trailer loaded with 2x6 by 8' lumber that was the lower level framing for a 28' x 50' modular house. I don't know the exact weight but would think it was at least 2000 pounds. The Yaris engine is definitely more powerful and I am pretty certain the brakes are stronger also. It is up to each individual to make (and live with) their own choice in this regard. Bill C

[tk1971]

Originally Posted by Woodsman

It seems like you missed my point.
They way you loaded your patio door on the trailer created an unsafe situation by having more weight behind the wheels than in front of them. Your tongue weight would not be near 10% of your trailer & load weight.
This makes the trailer unstable even at legal road speeds.

Not trying to argue here, but wow, you can tell all this from a single picture?

Looking at just the picture, I can't even tell if the middle of the patio door was right on top of the trailer's axle or 18" behind the axle. All I can see is a patio door extending out of the trailer.

If you don't want anyone to tow with a Yaris, just say that the owner's manual specifically says not to. No need to pull a CSI from a single picture when you weren't even there.

Unsafe situation? I'm glad I made it home alive...

[Midnightsun]

I would be worried doing something like this in the states. To many sue happy lawyers wanting to eat anything alive for free. In Canada, I would certainly do it if needed. We are not talking hauling a camper long distances on a regular basis. More like I need to haul some materials from the local home depot once in a blue moon. The car is actually rated to take 1200lbs towing capacity in Europe and by adding brakes to the trailer you up that to over 1500lbs. This basically says the weak point is only braking up to 1200 lbs and then other weaknesses kick in after 1500lbs if you take care of the braking. My wife's Nissan cube is rated for 0 and so is the Versa. This is most likely based on the cvt tranny and it's 10 year 200,000 mile warranty That being said, we do have a hitch on the cube and we do occasionally tow the PWC in summer and the sled in winter. We do not tow across country, longest distance ever covered is about an hour. If the tranny does ever have problems on the cube and they ask about the hitch, no problem, we are avid cyclists and do have a bike rack for the hitch. We never tow anything as this is not allowed.

[Midnight Drifter]

I'll follow the european tow limits (equal to vehicle weight) since I actually know how to drive a trailer.


I towed a Uhaul 5x8 recently to Albany, NY, loaded it up with about 800 lbs. of stuff, then towed the full trailer back home. 55 MPH both ways - no drama. Just kept it in 4th gear and 3rd on some of the steeper climbs.

I don't see what the big tow scare is.

[Idahotom]

Originally Posted by Midnight Drifter

I'll follow the european tow limits (equal to vehicle weight) since I actually know how to drive a trailer.


I towed a Uhaul 5x8 recently to Albany, NY, loaded it up with about 800 lbs. of stuff, then towed the full trailer back home. 55 MPH both ways - no drama. Just kept it in 4th gear and 3rd on some of the steeper climbs.

I don't see what the big tow scare is.

[SKurj]

Has anyone ordered that toyota trailer hitch from overseas? I like the way that one attaches.

I am considering a trailer to tow a streetbike every once in a while, its good to know that the yaris's limits are actually higher elsewhere when its the same car! My bike is 600lbs easily so add trailer and I will be at the canadian limit and then some.

[Yankee Spy]

I've got an 08 Yaris HB 5 speed. I'm towing 854lbs (trailer and load) , (3.5x5 Carry On cargo trailer from Lowes). I've tested this rig on very steep gravel roads, freeway, winding country roads etc. I don't exceed the 1585lb. GVWR. My advice? 1) Balance your load. 2) Stay at 65mph. 3) Keep the trailer profile below the back hatch window.
4) Keep your tires, brakes, struts/shocks in good condition. 5) Change your oil every 3000 miles. I'll give update about any problems I encounter. So far so good. Slow down, pay attention and enjoy your Yaris.

[Bluevitz-rs]

Pulling heavy things with any small car usually isn't a problem. Stopping it is. But the Yaris and Echo have pretty good brakes, so an extra 1000lbs should be in it realm of capabilities.

Think about it, you put 4 250lbs guys in it plus a trunk full of beer on the way to the cottage and you're well over the GVWR but the car isn't going to fail.

And Yankee Spy, GVWR is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (meaning the total weight of everything, including the car, fuel, luggage and passengers). The car itself weighs in at over 2300 lbs, so I think your 1585 lbs is a little shy. If you meant 1585Kg, >3494 lbs, then you might be right.

[yaris2010RS]

keep in mind for all people towing with a yaris, the limit set in your region will be the limit on the ownership and in the government database.

in canada if the mto officer knows any specific towing details on the yaris and see's u with something that yes your car is capable of but is prob over the listed limit he(or she) will pull you over and pull out the portable scales and weigh your load. keep that in mind

sources: tow truck driver, we gets calls all the time from mto and opp to tow an unsafe trailer (in reality the trailer is more then safe but its over the towing limit of the car) also some tow trucks caught (a Ford F350 suspension/engine can hold and tow a fully loaded cube van but not according to mto)

[Bluevitz-rs]

It's fairly obvious that there's more sticking out behind the wheel than in front but sometimes you just have to do it.

[ramaz]

wow, sorry for that car. much weight